Militia service in Mt. Vernon began
in 1831 when Bowman?s Rifles was raised during the Black
Hawk War. Jefferson County contributed companies to the
Mexican War and Civil War. Units from Mt. Vernon have
also participated in World War II and the Korean War.
The previous armory was built in 1938 and had been home
to primarily Infantry units with a few Artillery units
and a Medical Battalion over the
years.
The current Armed Forces Reserve Center was
completed in 2009 and is a state of the art facility
that houses both Army National Guard units and Army
Reserve units.